Ice tray for refrigerators



May 6, 1941. J. H. MINER ICE TRAY FOR REFRIGERATORS Filed Feb. 28, 1958 es JiJYZ'zner,

Patented May 6, 1941 STATES I OFFIQIE 15 Claims.

The invention concerns an ice tray organization for refrigerators.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a plan view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view.

Fig. 3 is a view like Fig. 1 with the parts in the relative positions they assume when the parts have been subjected to operative force of a lever.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modification of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a similar View to Fig. 4 of the invention with the operating lever in position after having operated one section of the grid away from its normal position.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 2, showing, in cross section, the operating lever.

In the drawing, 1 is the tray proper made of comparatively thin resilient material subject to distortion and capable of recovery to normal condition. It is, as usual, of elongated form. Its side walls are preferably flared upwardly, and its end walls may be either vertically disposed or slightly inclined outwardly and upwardly.

The grid is made up in two sections, each comprising a center partition'member 2 of metal, preferably thicker than the walls of the tray. These partition members extend lengthwise of the tray from the center to the opposite ends. These longitudinal partition members are set vertically on edge, and the fins 3, which complete the ice cube pockets, extend laterally from the sides of these partitions to which they are attached, to the side walls of the tray, and preferably substantially at right angles to the partitions and sides. The meeting ends of the partitions are provided with means which are adapted to receive an operating member such as the lever 4. For making this engagement, there are provided suitable lugs or projections at the meeting ends of the center partitions of the grid sections. These projections may assume various forms, and as an instance, I have shown upwardly extending projections 5 having overhanging head portions 6, below which the end portion of the lever or wrench will be received. The engaging end of the lever is bifurcated, and each of its arms or branches I have projections 8 to engage under the heads 6 of both of the grid sections, so that by turning the lever from the position of Fig. 1, where it is shown extending lengthwise of the grid organization to the position of Fig. 3, where it is at an inclination to the longitudinal axis of the tray organization, one of the central members or partitions 2 will be forced laterally of the tray at its central portion,

and the other partition will be forced in the opposite direction as shown in Fig. 3, so that the two partitions will be misaligned. The net result will be that one grid section with its cubes will be forced in a direction across the tray in one direction, and the other grid section with its cubes will be forced in the opposite direction transversely of the tray. The sides of the tray will give in this action and assume the full line position of Fig. 3, as compared with the normal position shown by the dotted lines in said figure.

The whole organization will be dislocated to such an extent that cubes will be cracked loose. Of course, the lever 4 will preferably be swung first in one direction and then in the other direction, and while the movement of the sections of the grid at the extreme ends of the tray will not be as pronounced as at the middle of the tray, it is suficient to loosen the cubes. The whole grid organization can be lifted from the tray by lifting the lever with the tray sections hanging thereto.

The center bars 2 of the grid are substantially rigid so as to impart movement to the end cubes, as well as the centrally disposed cubes.

The T-shaped head of the projections which receive under them the forked end of the lever, holds the latter down to its work. The projections 5 are above the water line.

Because the hand lever is engaged with the projections 5 by moving the lever in the direction of the length of the tray, the lever can be placed and worked while the tray is in the freezing chamber.

The partitions being stiff and independent of each other, will readily respond to the force exerted by the tool and the outer ends of said stiff partitions, though moving through a less distance than the centrally disposed ends of said bars will have sufficient movement to crack the ice from the walls of the cubicles at the ends of the tray. The present arrangement does not depend for its eiiect upon moving the grid sections lengthwise of the tray, but only crosswise, and as the side of the tray yields outwardly, the main resistance encountered will be that of cracking the ice from its joint with the walls of the tray and grid.

The sides of the tray may flare upwardly at a greater inclination than shown, so that the ice and grid sections may tend to rise up the inclines thus afforded.

Instead of operating both sections of the grid at once, each section may be operated separately, as shown in Fig. 4. In this form the fork of the lever will have substantially parallel inner walls or edges to embrace the stem of the projection under the head 6 thereof.

This stem is flat and of sufiicient extent in the longitudinal direction of the grid that the forked end of the lever can exert the desired twisting action through it upon the grid section to make the section assume the flexed or deflected position shown at the left of Fig. 5. After this section has been flexed the other section can be operated in the same way to crack the cubes loose. In operating the lever it may be moved back and forth in a direction laterally of the tray.

It will be noted that the projections are located at, a point somewhat distant from the inner ends of the grids and hence away from the lengthwise center of the tray. 7

The longitudinal partitions of the tray may be made heavier than usual, while the fins are made slightly thinner than usual, and of as high a temper as possible.

The grid must be of a height to prevent the water covering the upper edge.

When the cubes have been loosened the half grid may be lifted out, using the lever as a handle for this purpose or the tray may be turned upside down. The head of the projection keeps the lever down in place and enables it to be used as a lifter after the ice has been cracked away by the lateral movement of the lifter.

The T-shaped projection can be made in one piece with the grid by bending the metal, thus avoiding welding.

The grid can be operated while the tray is in the absorber.

I claim:

1. In an ice tray organization for refrigerators,

a tray proper of resilient material, a grid in two sections adjoining each other at an intermediate point lengthwise of the tray, each section being independently removable from the tray and having a longitudinally extending central partition member with fins extending from its opposite sides to provide ice cube pockets, said central partition members being arranged end to end, and a lever for engaging the meeting ends of said partitions for moving them crosswise of the tray in opposite directions relative to each other.

2. An ice tray organization according to claim 1 in which the central partition bars of the grid sections have projections above the water line for engagement by the lever, said projections having heads at their upper ends beneath which the lever engages.

3. An ice tray organization according to claim 1 in which the lever has a bifurcated end for engaging the adjacent ends of the grid bars.

4. In combination with an elongated tray, a grid section comprising a partition to lie centrally and lengthwise of the tray and having fins attached thereto on its opposite sides, said grid being movable bodily relative to the tray, and a lever removably engaging the top portion of the grid, and movable substantially horizontally and in a direction across the upper part of the tray for moving the grid section transversely of the tray to loosen the ice, substantially as described.

5. A tray organization comprising a tray and a grid, and in which the grid is in sections disposed along the tray, in the same compartment thereof, and independently removable therefrom each section having means for engagement therewith by a lever extending in a general direction lengthwise of the tray to exert a twisting strain upon the section laterally of the tray.

6. A tray, a grid therein divided at the central portion thereof, and each section having a center bar and fins carried on opposite sides thereof, each center bar having means thereon to be engaged by a forked lever operable in substantially a horizontal plane for exerting a laterally directed strain on the grid section, substantially as described.

7. In a tray organization for refrigerators, a tray proper of elongated form, a grid in a plurality of parts adjoining each other in the same compartment of the tray, each part being independently removable from said common compartment and each part having means whereby it may be engaged by a forked lever positioned in a substantially horizontal plane above the tray for being stressed bodily laterally of the tray.

8. In combination in an ice tray organization for refrigerators, a tray proper, a grid composed of sections divided from each other in a plane extending transversely of the tray, occupying the same compartment thereof and independently removable therefrom, and means on said sections to be engaged by an operating lever, and an operating lever having a forked end to engage the said means on each grid section independently for stressing or moving said section in a direction across the tray for cracln'ng the ice.

9. In an ice tray organization for refrigerators, a tray proper of elongated form, a grid composed of sections divided from each other in a plane extending transversely of the tray, said sections having upwardly projecting means for engagement by an operating lever, and an operating 1ever having a forked end for engaging said projections singly or in multiple, said lever when in normal position extending in a direction substantially lengthwise of the organization, and being turnable in a direction crosswise of the longitudinal axis of the organization.

10. An ice tray organization according to ciaim 9 in which the upwardly extending projections of the grid sections have upper heads under which the forked lever engages, substantially as described.

11. In combination, an elongated ice tray, a grid therein in sections divided from each other at a zone intermediate the ends of the tray and in a plane transverse of the tray, each grid section consisting of a longitudinally extending partition member with a lug projecting upwardly from those ends of said sections, which lie adjacent each other at said intermediate Zone, substantially as described.

12. In combination with an elongated ice tray, grid sections arranged in alignment end to end, said sections having recesses at their meeting ends at the upper parts thereof for en agement therewith of a lifting tool, substantially as described.

13. An ice tray, grid and lever assembly, in which the grid has a central partition provided with an elongated projection intermediate of its ends extending in a direction length-wise of the partition, and said lever has a forked end embracing said elc-ngated projection, substantially as described.

14;. An ice tray, grid and lever assembly in which the grid has a central partition provided with an elongated projection intermediate of its ends extending in a direction lengthwise of the partition,'and said lever has a forked end embracing said elongated projection, said projection having a head portion to overlie said forked end of the lever, substantially as described.

15. In combination with an ice tray of elongated form for refrigerators and of spring metal capable of distortion and recovery, a grid consisting of a partition set up on edge extending lengthwise and substantially centrally of the tray and fins attached to and extending laterally from said partition to the side Walls of the tray, and a lever engaging said partition intermediate of its 

